Unwrapping parenthood one nappy at a time

Merry Christmas Baby!

So this is Christmas. And what have we done? Well this year we had a baby!

Yes, it’s our first Christmas with Baby B – just thinking about it makes me feel all warm and glowing.

Life has already been turned upside down by his arrival but it’s only this week that I’ve realised Christmas will once again be magical!

Let’s face it, once you grow up and become a sensible (ahem) adult, Christmas loses some of its glitter and sparkle.

There are those among us, Mrs B included, who do love the festive season and go all out to make it as ho ho ho as possible. But for me it’s hard to muster up the enthusiasm sometimes.

All that changes once little people are in the frame, and no i don’t mean Father Christmas’ elves (although more of that later).

Christmas is better with children.

Even at my advanced age I can still remember the excitement of advent and the comforting traditions that heralded the approach of Christmas Day.

Every family has them and ours weren’t particularly exciting. Simple things like helping mum pin up the cards we’d been sent on string around the living room. Not being allowed to put up the tree until after Grandma’s birthday on the 10 December. Helping make the Christmas pudding. Even getting out the same decorations every year and spending ages choosing where to hang them was comforting and exciting.

Once the tree was up I used to turn out the lights in the room and sit by the fire staring at the tree in all its gaudiness. If I even suggested red and silver tinsel or flashing multi-coloured lights to Mrs B now I’d be sent out to gather kindling as a penance. But our old school 1970s fake tree (even the BRANCHES were covered in tinsel to represent pine needles) was as central to my childhood as the equally tacky tank tops I wore or the turkey spam fritters I was served for school dinner.

And then there was the school nativity, last day of term playing games, the snowball fights (before climate change), and having to get used to walking in wellys. Or trying to do skids across the playground in wellys. Cue many children spending Christmas in plaster.

Now I find myself for the first time in my own home, with my own family. I don’t know how the time suddenly went by but now I’d like to pause for a few days and take it all in.

Next year he will be a toddler, and then as the years go by Christmas will for a brief time be that magical place filled with mystery,longing, and joy.

For now Baby B is happy to try and eat the tree, the presents, and will probably not eat his pureed Christmas dinner.

I’ll do my best to update you on our first baby Christmas as it unwraps over the next week!